Hamilton International Airport

[urban_planner]

I don't know who will replace the flights, I just hope someone does. Could be transat or skyservice. C.uld again be someone from that side of the pond.

if the numbers were good with Globespan like I think they were then tradeport should have no problem getting a replacement.

[realcity]

Toronto Island also has to deal with once you get off the plane you have to take a $8 20 minute ferry with all your luggage.

I would like to see Southwest at YHM. My number one first choice when I fly is Southwest from Buffalo. Buffalo airport is maybe a bigger problem then YYZ from keeping YHM from being an important regional passenger airport. Buffalo is very affordable, as convenient as Hamilton and equal distance to 500,000 people in Niagara Region.

Plus i think SW has cool looking jets.

[markbarbera]

I have to day I am disappointed that flyglobespan collapsed. Whenever I flew with them it was an enjoyable experience, and I will miss the service from Hamilton. For the record, the collapse was not a result of their schedules as their loads were always high and price margins reasonable. What did them in was a short term cash flow problem brought on by struggling credit card processing company e-Clear, which itself is likely to fold in the coming days. The administrators of flyglobespan are petitioning to force that company into banckuptcy with hopes to recover the $60 million owed them in ticket sales that company processed on behalf of flyglobespan but failed to transfer to them.

I don't expect overseas flights to return anytime soon. Simpy put, passenger service has suffered greatly during this recession and are not likely to rebound anytime soon. Certainly there are no airlines clambering to pick up on this service from YHM. Maybe 2012 will be different, but I sure don't expect anything prior to then.

I am with realcity when it comes to Southwest. I'd love to see them here, although I am not a particular fan of their cattle-call boarding procedure. I lke knowing I have a specific seat assigned for me and hate the bus-like atmosphere to boarding a Southwest flight. Nonetheless, their on time performance and price point make it worth the hassle.

This will set back the agenda for improving airport facilities yet again, which is a bummer. However, having just flown through YHM this past week, I have to say the convenience makes up for the lack of sky bridges. And the loads on the WestJet flights sure looked high as well, at least they were on my flights.

[holymoly]

Originally Posted by realcity

Toronto Island also has to deal with once you get off the plane you have to take a $8 20 minute ferry with all your luggage.

Sounds like you're describing the ferry to Toronto Islands, but the Porter ferry to the airport is free and quick, going just 120 metres across the inner harbour.

[FairHamilton]

^ Yeah, you can always tell those who've never flown Porter. They don't understand how great they are, and have no concept of the set-up.

[markbarbera]

Gently nudging the conversation back to Hamilton International Airport, this is welcome news:

Munro, union avert strike action
Tentative pact for airport workers

Steve Arnold
The Hamilton Spectator
(Dec 22, 2009)

Christmas travellers may be spared having to deal with a strike at Hamilton Airport.

A tentative deal was reached late yesterday after two days of intensive negotiations.

The deal covers 35 firefighters, security staff and maintenance employees, members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees who have been working without a contract for more than a year.

"We are pleased that we have reached a tentative agreement with our employees that meets both of our needs," Frank Scremin, director of operations for John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, said in a news release.

"We all worked hard to reach a resolution and we are glad that we can put this negotiation behind us and focus on building a better Hamilton International Airport moving forward."

The agreement has been reached after a strike vote earlier this month in which the employees voted 100 per cent in support of strike action. On Dec. 16, the sides met with the Canada Industrial Relations Board to reach an essential services agreement that would have cleared the way to a strike or lockout if negotiations failed. The parties agreed to a final negotiating session Dec. 20.

The tentative deal was reached just after 12:30 p.m. yesterday and announced last night.

Scremin said a contingency plan was ready to keep the airport operating if a strike or lockout had been called.

"We treat the negotiation process confidentially and will not be releasing the specifics of the tentative new contract," he explained.

"However, we believe the tentative agreement is fair and equitable and we look forward to continuing our healthy, effective and successful relationship with the union and our employees."

The proposal is being reviewed by the union and will go to a ratification vote tomorrow.

[LikeHamilton]

City ready to sell off money-losing airport says councillor

By Kevin Werner, News Staff AncasterNews Dec 18, 2009

Hamilton councillor Chad Collins wants the city to consider selling the Hamilton International Airport.
The veteran politician says the city has no intention of taking over and operating the facility any time in the near future and lacks the expertise to make the airport a profitable enterprise.

He said when the former Hamilton- Wentworth regional council decided to enter into a private-public partnership with Tradeport, it was because the airport was losing money, the region didn’t have the expertise to operate the facility and the airport needed a multi-million dollar investment.

Thirteen years later, the reasons the region gave up operating the airport remain the same today for the city, says Collins.

So it would make sense, he says, to sell it to the highest bidder and use the funds for needed infrastructure projects and other financial needs instead of raising taxes and adopting new user fees on residents.

“It’s incumbent upon us to take a look at it,” he said.

Exert control Even with a private company operating the airport, Hamilton would continue to exert control over the airport employment land development program, while still receiving the benefits of increasing the city’s assessment around the airport.

“It’s the best of both worlds,” he said. “We would still control the economic growth planning. We just would not be the owners of the land.”

Collins will introduce a motion at the first council meeting in January asking city officials examine whether the airport should be sold to private interests.

The former Hamilton-Wentworth Region established a 40-year contract with the Vancouver-based Tradeport International Corp. and Tony Battaglia of Westpark Developments in 1996 to manage and operate the facility.

Prior to 1996, the region-operated airport, named after John C. Munro, a former federal Liberal cabinet minister, was losing about $1 million per year.

In 2006, YVR Airport Services, which runs the Vancouver Airport, bought out Battaglia and the Laborers’ International Union of North America, Local 837, to take control of Tradeport in a $13- million deal. YVRAS operates 18 airports, with five in small Canadian cities. The city’s lease arrangement with Tradeport has been an ongoing contentious issue among councillors and the public. City officials have refused to release details of the lease to council, citing privacy concerns. Over the years a number of Hamilton councillors, including Collins, Brad Clark, Sam Merulla and Brian McHattie, have questioned the lease arrangements and have urged a thorough review of the lease. They have expressed increasing concerns about the city using public money to continually assist the airport. Under the lease arrangement, the city is only required to pay to extend the airport runways. But the city has spent about $12 million on airport-related projects that didn’t have to be done and is expected to spend even more money.

City officials have indicated to councillors that over the next 15 to 20 years, Hamilton will spend millions of dollars to purchase land for airport development. Collins said this is money the city simply does not have.

As part of the lease arrangement, the city is supposed to receive a portion of the airport’s revenue, but has only received anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000 per year.

Hamilton’s airport injects about $400 million into the local economy, and creates about 1,700 direct jobs, say officials. Under the lease requirements, the city has an option in 2012 to get out of the lease, an opportunity, says Collins, for the city to look in another direction for the airport’s future.

[SteelTown]

I'd imagine YVR Airport Services would likely place a bid. Perhaps even GTAA.

[DHLawrence]

Somehow I can't see a GTAA takeover as being in HI's best interests. YVR would probably be better--they won't try to move traffic to Pearson away from HI.

[drpgq]

Yeah I would rather leave it the way it is, before doing anything with GTAA.

[realcity]

this all smells of another corrupt City Staff/unnamed union and the usual land speculators.

it makes sense to name the airport after a politician who was knee deep in corruption regarding the dredging up of Hamilton Harbour.

[realcity]

Whatever happened with the 403 link road highway that was built a few years ago? Wasn't that the thing that would make the airport take off? Instead it loses money.

[SteelTown]

GTAA have shown interest in buying Hamilton Airport in the past. Bratina even wanted the City to sell the Airport to GTAA a few years ago.

Perhaps the city and the government could work up a deal to kill the Pickering Airport idea if they purchase Hamilton Airport.

[markbarbera]

The city would be poorly served to sell off a capital item like the airport lands.

[SteelTown]

Collins would like to sell the airport and the land the airport needs to operate. The rest of the land the city would keep for the business park.

[SteelTown]

M O T I O N

Council Date: January 11, 2010

MOVED BY COUNCILLOR COLLINS………………………..……..……..……..…
SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR………………………………………………………

Investigating the Possibility of Selling the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport

Whereas the City of Hamilton owns the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport; and

Whereas the current contract with Tradeport contains a clause that allows the City to re-acquire the airport (in 2010) with conditions; and

Whereas it is unlikely that the City will ever seek to operate the facility as a municipal operation; and

Whereas the land holdings and other assets of the airport operation, wholly owned by the Corporation of the City of Hamilton have great value; and

Whereas the City of Hamilton is seeking revenue sources to pay for a corporate wide capital infrastructure deficit;

Therefore be it resolved that City of Hamilton staff prepare a report that investigates the possibility of divesting itself of the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport by 2012, with the goal and objective of reinvesting the resources from its sale into the City’s infrastructure.

[mishap]

Originally Posted by realcity

Whatever happened with the 403 link road highway that was built a few years ago? Wasn't that the thing that would make the airport take off? Instead it loses money.

Remember how WestJet complained that they needed better road access at YHM? And yet when Hwy 6 went back under construction, with a firm completion date, WestJet announces that they're moving to Pearson, citing the lack of transportation facilities, among other things. They knew the road was coming. And after years of complementing Hamilton on it's turnaround times, and ease of gettting planes off the ground as opposed to YYZ, suddenly weather delays were an issue. And what about the huge cost advantage to operating at YHM? Never mentioned on the way out. That suggests that WestJet got a sweetheart deal from the GTAA to shift their hub to Pearson. And then the "shocked and hurt" attitude when local politicians and media called them on it? Too much.

Now I can see why they might want to go to Pearson. There's a certain status to being in Toronto (even if it really is Mississauga). While they might not make much money from Toronto, they'll make money by being there. One of my profs in TO once told us that many stores in the Eaton Centre make little, if any, money because the high rents. But the chain has added value by being able to say that they're in the Eaton Centre.

I think YHM's biggest problem was putting too much faith in a single carrier. They're still a private corporation, and can do as they please. Now if the GTAA actually did run Munro, maybe they'd try to help Pearson's efficiency by encouraging airlines to shift some operations to Munro.

[Bob Bratina]

Sell the airport? Not likely, says mayor The Spectator - Aug 13, 2005

Hamilton Mayor Larry Di Ianni is hoping to head off competition from a possible new Pickering airport by meeting with officials from the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.
But he says he's not in favour of Councillor Bob Bratina's idea of selling Hamilton's airport in Mount Hope to the GTAA.
"I think any idea should be analysed, but that would be like selling the family jewels or saying, 'Let's sell the waterfront, as well,'" said Di Ianni............Downtown councillor Bratina has suggested that the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport could be sold or turned over to the GTAA, which runs the terminals at Toronto's Pearson and has revived long-dormant plans for an airport in Pickering.
Bratina called it "outside the box" thinking, saying it could bring needed millions of dollars to Hamilton and possibly help support operation of the Warplane Heritage Museum.
And he doesn't consider owning and operating Hamilton's airport as some precious motherhood issue. The city has already turned over operation to TradePort International Corp.
"It's not like we are selling the Tiger-Cats or McMaster," he said.
Bratina says Hamilton's fear of a new and competing airport in Pickering is causing the city to make hasty and controversial zoning and planning decisions that may backfire.
A third Ontario Municipal Board appeal has now been made against Hamilton's plans to expand urban boundaries, solidify the airport's seven-day, 24-hour operation and rezone airport area lands for employment purposes.
Those plans have run into stiff opposition from some residents

[urban_planner]

Too bad they couldn't come up with some way to sell it to the GTAA with a promise that the GTAA will work to develope it to a great level that is currently is at. But heck for all we know the GTAA isn't even interested? Look at the UK thought a lot of there major airports are operated buy one large company the BAA they operate Heathrow, Stanstead, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, southampton and Naples of course the top 4 are the major ones.

Anyway just my two sence

Also to who ever said the airport is loosing money. I actually don't think it is loosing money, I think its just not making enough.

[bigguy1231]

If they sell it to the GTAA, I am willing to bet that they would shut it down within 5 years and move everything to Pearson, then the new Pickering airport.

The city should not be selling assets.

This is just another stupid idea by the retards that run this city.